Reviews with content warning for Sexism - The Gilda Stories

A Black, LGBTQ+, Vampire novel written in the '90s what's not to adore!!! Fans of Anne Rice's Interview with a Vampire sprint to read this book immediately!!!! Perfect fall read kinda tense and spoooky but not overwhelmingly so it give the perfect vibes. The pacing was perfect covering a large timeline in many areas throughout the US it kept you on the edge of your seat but allowed you enough time to sink in and understand each new time and place. It covers so many important topics from racism, sexism, found family, LGBT, humanity, greed, loneliness, jealousy, and environmental destruction. It was relevant 25 years ago and still relevant today. It really made me reflect on our society and what shape our future may take. I really appreciated how each character dealt with the vampirism different and showed a diversity of ways of dealing with their own humanity. I so often get caught up in wanting to read new releases I think it was important for me to go back to an older read and experience this! I'm so glad I read this book it will stick with me for a long time to come.

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caseythereader's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional funny reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

- THE GILDA STORIES is an expansive, meditative exploration of found family, womanhood, and Blackness told through the story of Gilda, a young Black lesbian vampire, as she lives through the centuries.
- It took me a bit to get into this story, as I often find older novels keep the characters at a bit of a remove for my tastes. But once I got a handle on it, I was invested in Gilda and her search for a place and people to belong with.
- It reminded me quite a bit of Octavia E. Butler's work, not just for the vampire parallels to FLEDGLING, but also for the considerations of complex relationships and families as characters navigate new situations and realities.

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stormywolf's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Breaking out of my reading slump to read last month's pick in Maven of the Eventide's (aka Elisa Hansen's) Vampire Book Club proved to be no easy feat. Unfortunately, my library did not carry the audiobook, and it turned out I had other obligations the night of the meeting. Luckily I found a copy of the audio online, and, as always, the book club meetings are saved for posterity, so while I wasn't there for the live discussion, I was able to participate in some ways (unlike the previous month's when my library didn't even carry a text copy for The Silver Kiss). And though I'd never heard of this book before the club picked it out, the premise seemed especially intriguing and I was eager to experience it. Let me just say, wow.

Read my full review at The Wolf's Den

Overall, this book will undoubtedly sit with me for quite sometime. From the characters, to the settings, to the long and tumultuous journey of self-discovery, I was wholly invested. The exploration of life, and what it means to live and love from the perspective of an outsider, along with powerful depictions of struggling to choose what's best for yourself and for those around you, even if that means starting over, were what impacted me the most. I would highly recommend this book to anyone interested in historical fiction, books featuring BIPOC and/or LGBTQIA+ main characters, empowering women, Afrofuturism, or just a fresh, new take on vampires—even hailing from 30 years ago!

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